F1 on the BBC

Just watching first practice for the Bahrain F1 GP on the BBC's website... impressive coverage - live video stream (plus Radio5 Live commentary if I had speakers) together with the BBC's superb live text service running...

I'm guessing Lewis (I'll have the old wing please) Hamilton must have been running low fuel when he set what (with less than three minutes to go) is the fastest lap of the session. Interesting overlaid video just now of the relative corner speeds through the last couple of turns... Button's Brawn clearly nailed (on rails) round the corners - but Lewis would have the edge on the straight - there's KERS for you!

LIVE! Heidfeld just gone 2nd quickest - then lost it completely into turn 1!!!

Is the 2010 British GP dead and buried?

Autosport are reporting that the 'freeholder' for Donington Park has commenced legal action against leaseholder (and 2010 British Grand Prix rights holder) Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd for unpaid rent!

Just the small sum of about £2.5 million...

Autosport reports:

"It is with great reluctance that we have taken this decision," said Kevin Wheatcroft of Wheatcroft & Son.

"Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd owe us nearly £2.5m in rent dating back to September 2008. Despite receiving numerous reassurances over a number of months they have consistently failed to meet their financial obligations under the terms of the lease.

"We have held off taking legal action for as long as possible but have been left with no choice but to commence proceedings to recover the outstanding rent and forfeit the lease."

2 Grand Prix down

And realistically who'd have thought that Jenson Button would be leading the World Championship - from team mate Rubens Barricello?  Always thought that Honda would come good eventually, just a shame that the guys at the factory had to go through such a stressfull few months before Ross Brawn took over entirely.

Two awesome races from where I was sat (Australia - I was in an hotel at Le Mans, whilst for Malaysia we'd just got home about 6 hours before the start) so all was most interesting!

BBC's coverage (what I've seen) was superb, although not too sure about Eddie Irvine - and DC clearly won't be getting any interviews with John Button (Jenson's dad).

Still some hospitality left for Silverstone in June - see our Silverstone Hospitality website for more details.

Silverstone Classic

Finally, some news on the 2009 Silverstone Classic which takes place in July (Friday 24th-Sunday 26th July 2009 to be precise).

A provisional timetable is now available from the Silverstone Classic website which suggests that this year's classic should be as fantastic as the 2008 event. What's more, there is the World Sportscar Masters series race (for Group 4 cars of the type that would have run at Le Mans) going into at least 'the dusk' if not quite full darkness - sure to be one of THE highlights of the weekend.

Our suites will of course be available for full hospitality throughout the weekend. We're considering adding to the Saturday night festivities by recreating one aspect of Le Mans that you can't miss... the BBQ! Watch this space as they say.

Brawn GP

Well you've really got to hand it to Ross Brawn, boss of the team formerly known as Honda Racing F1.

Not only were they the last to shake down their new car (on the same day it was announced Ross had bought the team) but to then turn up at the final Barcelona test and leave every other team scratching their heads to know how the white, yellow and black cars are so damn quick that they've left the rest of the field behind.

Now we already know that the Honda was well advanced but hang on... new engine = new bodywork as the radiators will need different amounts of airflow, the exhausts will be different and so on...

What's more, both Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello took no time at all to get used to the car which suggests it's not on the ragged edge at the sorts of pace they showed - i.e. there's a lot more speed to come from the BGP001.

Long may it continue, and let's hope that Ross and all the team at Brawn GP can show Honda what they could have had...

Le Mans entry list

The ACO have today announced the entry list for the 77th edition of the Le Mans 24 hours - see Autosport - including 55 confirmed entries.

The highlights:

LM-P1 - 21 cars, including 5 Audis, 4 Peugeots and 4 Aston Martins 

LM-P2 - 12 cars, including various Lola Mazdas and the Judd engined variants up against 3 Porsche RS Spyders

GT1 - 8 cars, 4 Corvettes, 2 Aston DBR9 and 2 Lamborghini

GT2 - 14 cars, including 9 Ferrari F430 (so Porsche with 3 entries should probably win this class again).  There's a lone Aston V8 Vantage in here for Drayson Racing too!

Driver confirmations will no doubt happen quite shortly but the big thing in LMP1 is the 3 new Audi R15s for the factory + 2 R10s for privateer Kolles racing, plus 3 Peugeot for the factory and 1 to be run by Le Mans legend Henri Pescarolo (alongside one of his own petrol cars).

Also 4 Astons was more than I certainly was expecting! 2 'factory' cars plus 2 other entries.

Clearly although Le Mans and the whole of sportscar racing isn't anything like the costs of F1 and the rest things aren't looking too bad at this stage!

2009 24 hours of Le Mans

We've finally managed to confirm details for our 'preferred' hotel and chalet options for the 2009 edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Space (as always) is limited and is available on a first come, first served basis so don't hang around!

Just think... Audi vs Peugeot vs Aston Martin in LMP1 - that's almost as good as Porsche vs Jaguar back in the 1980's! Maybe, just maybe, Aston can spring the sort of suprise that saw Mazda take overall victory back in the 1990's too!

See you there...

More information - 24 hours of Le Mans

Goodwood 2009

Good news from Goodwood - 2009 Festival of Speed and Revival hospitality packages are now shown on our website.

Even better - all prices are the Official Prices from Goodwood - you pay us the same as you would to Goodwood!

We are pleased to accept bookings from 2 guests upwards and can accept payment by credit or debit card (credit cards subject to surcharge - Visa/Mastercard @ 2.6%, Amex @ 3.6%).

Contact us for more details - or visit our website for details of the glorious Goodwood Events

2009 - could this be F1's best year for a while?

It's been a bit quiet in the office recently - we're still gobsmacked by how ugly some of the cars are at the moment... beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say, but how come the Red Bull looks fairly good?

Anyway, what with the changes in regulations it looks like the season should be ultra-competitive and potentially very open! 2009 definitely looks like a good time to go see F1 live at a circuit too!

Packages for the British Grand Prix are selling fast (2 facilities already full for race day and qualifying with others not far away) and I know although we don't get involved that grandstands at various parts of the circuit are already sold out!

Other Grand Prix destinations in demand for 2009 include Barcelona and Valencia, Monaco (as always) and Monza - if you've got any interest in seeing F1 up close then visit our website for more information on hospitality and 'ground' packages... www.motorracinghospitality.com

2009's crop of F1 cars

Is it me or are the new cars just plain ugly?

I'm sure once we see the cars 'in the flesh' so to speak things will be different and if the FIA's aims are proved correct we will have closer and more exciting racing - but shouldn't a racing car also be beautiful?

Now I'm not saying the bull horns and overwings were pretty but at least they had a function (although on the 2007 Honda they smacked of desperation).

Role on Australia when we will get a chance to see if everything works...

Donington 2010

Interesting article on Autosport following on from Donington Park being granted planning permission for the track changes to be made (see original Autosport article) - this time with the thoughts of one Ron Dennis - CEO of McLaren.

"I applaud anyone coming into Grand Prix racing and bringing competition," Dennis told the audience at Friday's Sid Watkins Lecture at the Autosport International Show.

"But I really do struggle to understand how the economics of Donington will work. They have had a 25% swing in the dollar and the contract will be a dollar-based contract. It has got a massive investment into infrastructure.

"I don't understand how we are going to get in and out of the place, although I can tell you I will be in a helicopter!"

Hmmm yet the airport says "we're not closing" and Simon Gillett - effectively owner of Donington - says he wants people to come by public transport.

Perhaps there will be a Grand Prix in 2010 at Donington - but on the basis that air access will be extremely restricted which will incur the wrath of Ron Dennis (and surely Bernie Ecclestone too).

With the police and air travellers less than pleased by the tailbacks on the M1 as everyone turns in by car as no event outside of a major conurbation has every been attended in these numbers by public transport I can't see it being allowed to be repeated in 2011!

Donington can't cope with the World Series by Renault - how do they intend to solve the problems by building work alone?